Here's a 1977 video of a teenage Jodie Foster singing Je T'Attends Depuis La Nuit Des Temps. She recorded the song and several others for the film Moi, fleur bleue.Link (Thanks, Michael-Anne Rauback!)
Jodie Foster, teenage chanteuse
Here's a 1977 video of a teenage Jodie Foster singing Je T'Attends Depuis La Nuit Des Temps. She recorded the song and several others for the film Moi, fleur bleue.Link (Thanks, Michael-Anne Rauback!)
Bag of sand spurs Evacuation
Dan says "Yesterday afternoon at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a student dropped a gym bag with 60lbs of sand off behind a trash can. This caused all the buildings in the surrounding area to be evacuated as police investigated."
Link
Jack Valenti, former MPAA head, has died.
Jack Valenti, 85, passed away today. Link to an obituary in the Los Angeles Times. (Image: Wikipedia)
Internet radio crisis: an overview, from SomaFM's Rusty Hodge
The first internet radio station I ever tuned in to was a downtempo ambient stream from Soma FM. I was working long, late hours at a website sweatshop an interactive services firm, with visions of plump stock options dancing over my monitor. The music and the delivery method were equally captivating. Radio! On the computer! Whoah. It felt so new at the time. I've remained a loyal Soma FM fan as years passed.
Now, Soma FM and other Internet radio providers -- including terrestrial radio networks now offering streams online -- are in big trouble, thanks to blockheaded moves by the RIAA and its spinoff, SoundExchange.
I asked Soma FM general manager Rusty Hodge if he wouldn't mind sharing an overview with BoingBoing readers, and he generously complied. Snip:
There is a crisis facing internet radio: new mandatory royalty rates are so high that they will force most or all independent internet radio stations off the air.Read the entire post here. It's comprehensive, with lots of links. If you're not familiar with the issues facing webcasters right now, it's a great place to start. Rusty has also posted an update with some breaking news from today, here. Rusty also points to SaveNetRadio, an advocacy website for internet broadcasters: Link.
Kurt Hanson and the Radio and Internet Newsletter (RAIN) folks have been covering this from the beginning, too -- here's their latest post: Link.
More background: here's an explanation from one of the lawyers representing webcasters: Link. LA Times reporter Jon Healey posted something about the issue in his blog, as well: Link.
(Thanks, Wayne Correia, and Fred von Lohmann!)
Reader comment: Aram Sinnreich says,
I just published an interview on the subject with tim westergren from pandora in truthdig.com: Link.
Get Illuminated Podcast episode 8: Comic Art Magazine
In this episode of the Get Illuminated podcast, I interviewed the publisher (Alvin Buenaventura) and the editor (Todd Hignite) of one of my favorite magazines, Comic Art.
Alvin also publishes other books of and about comics -- check out the line-up at Buenaventura Press. Hignite is the author of a terrific book called In the Studio, in which he visits well-know cartoonists and interviews them about their process and inspirations. (Shown above: The cover of the upcoming Comic Art 9 by LA cartoonist and musician Tim Hensley.)
MP3 link | Podcast feed | Subscribe via iTunes | Previous Get Illuminated shows
Gross video of still-writhing octopus tentacles for dinner
I know, I know -- to each, his own eats. But this video of freshly-offed octopus on a restaurant table in Korea made me squirm more than the tentacles therein. Cyrus Farivar shot, uploaded, and tentatively nibbled. "They calm down after a little while, but then when you go after them again, they start up again," he says, "It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen brought to a dinner table." Video Link.Reader comment: M. Hwang says,
If you've ever seen the Korean movie Old Boy (I'd highly recommend it, though it's also a bit disturbing), there's a scene in it where the protagonist eats a live octopus on camera. As he chomps down on it, the tentacles move along his face. The actor, CHOI Min-sik, is a devout Buddhist, and apparently he prayed/begged forgiveness after each take. Video link.And ROFL, someone out there suggests that this is a Klingon dish: Link.
Korean Cuisine Geek and BB reader stylimitsu says,
OMG! Are you kidding me? My mouth is STILL watering after checking that video out! Seriously. Funny what turns different people on, huh?Spluch says,The way it was prepared in the video makes it seem pretty tame. The sauce actually lubricates the tentacles, making them easier to manipulate in the mouth and, thus, chew properly (trust me, you gotta chew the hell out of these things). It also makes them easier to pick up with chopsticks, as, without the sauce, the little suckers (hah!) grip tenaciously to the smooth surface of the plate. That's why sliced tentacles will often be served on top of leaves (on top of plates).
Okay, I'm really getting hungry now...
Yeah, I have been to South Korea sometime ago and encountered this "store" which was selling live octopus next to a rocky shore. According to the local tour guide, one has to chew really fast to prevent the suckers from getting stuck onto the teeth. Also, divers (woman) who catches these stuffs on the spot needs to be able to dive to a depth of some 50 to 100 feet all while holding their breath without the use of diving equipment. The end result of holding such long breaths is that these divers don't actually live long.ray says,
Just read the squirming octopus post on BoingBoing! I was in Korea some 2 years ago and posted a similar breakdown on my own site - it includes videos of flopping fish and waving sea urchins. Live. And of course, we're eating them. Doesn't get any fresher than that! And now I'm getting hungry too... Link.bob dole says,
Also see the related behind the scenes footage from Oldboy: youTube Link. (BTW I, being from the middle of the north american continent, say it's gross, but it makes my Korean wife totally hungry :))
Previously on BoingBoing:
Garage dentist busted
Roger Bean, 60, was arrested yesterday for doing illegal dentistry in a West Palm Beach garage laboratory that was "filthy," according to police. From the Smoking Gun's summary of the probable cause affidavit:
Previously on BB:
• Basement cosmetic surgery clinic busted Link
And from an Associated Press article:When Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies raided Bean's garage, they recovered various power tools, false teeth, putty, dentures, and moldings. Bean, pictured in the mug shot at right, described himself as a "denturist" and told cops that this was not the first time he had been nabbed for operating an unregistered lab. He was charged with practicing dentistry without a license, a felony. While first visiting Bean's garage (after receiving an anonymous tip), detectives watched as a 67-year-old woman arrived to pick up dentures Bean had repaired for the bargain basement price of $40.
Ron St. Mary, 73, head of the neighborhood crime watch, said Bean is no criminal.Link to Smoking Gun, Link to Associated Press article
"He's helping the old people who don't have a few dollars," he said. "I think the world of him."
Previously on BB:
• Basement cosmetic surgery clinic busted Link
How the CIA used a fake sci-fi flick to rescue Americans from Tehran
Joshuah Bearman wrote a great story for Wired. He summarized it for me thusly:
LinkThe story is a CIA rescue mission during the Iran Hostage Crisis, when six American embassy staff escaped the compound and were on the lam in Tehran for months -- until the CIA rescued them by creating a fake Hollywood production company and pretended to be in Iran location scouting for a big-budget sci-fi epic. I swear, it's all true. The CIA even got an office for their fake production company at Sunset/Gower studios, had a script and concept art, and took out ads in Variety. There are many more strange digressions in detail, but I'll let you find out about them in the story.
Reader comment:
Luke says: In Errol Morris' First Person series, he did a documentary about the CIA agent responsible for the Sci-fi rescue. He talks about it in some detail. The episode is called "The Little Gray Man"
Royal Society 2007 Prize for Science Books
The Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science, has announced its short list for the 2007 General Prize for Science Books. I'm jazzed because I love reading popular science books and haven't checked out a single one of these yet. The long list is also available on the Royal Society site. The winner will be announced on May 15. From the 2007 General Prize page:
• Homo Britannicus by Chris StringerLink to Royal Society Prize page, Link to BBC News article
Homo Britannicus tells the epic story of the human colonisation of Britain, from our very first footsteps to the present day. Drawing on all the latest evidence and techniques of investigation, Chris Stringer describes times when Britain was so tropical that humans lived alongside hippos and sabre tooth tigers; and times so cold they shared the land with reindeer and mammoth; and times colder still when humans were forced to flee altogether. Link
• In Search of Memory by Eric R. Kandel
Nobel laureate Eric R Kandel charts the intellectual history of the emerging biology of the mind, and sheds light on how behavioural psychology, cognitive psychology, neuroscience and molecular biology have converged into a powerful new science. These efforts, he says, provide insights into normal mental functioning and disease, and simultaneously open pathways to more effective treatments. Link
• Lonesome George by Henry Nicholls
Lonesome George is a 1.5m-long, 90kg tortoise aged between 60 and 200, and it is thought he is the sole survivor of his sub-species. Scientific ingenuity may conjure up a way of reproducing him, and resurrecting his species. Henry Nicholls details the efforts of conservationists to preserve the Galapagos' unique biodiversity and illustrates how their experiences and discoveries are echoed worldwide. He explores the controversies raging over which mates are most appropriate for George and the risks of releasing crossbreed offspring into the wild. Link
• One in Three by Adam Wishart
When his father was diagnosed with cancer, Adam Wishart couldn't find any book that answered his questions: what was the disease, how did it take hold and what did it mean? What is it about cancer's biology that means it has not been eradicated? How close are we, really, to a cure? There was no such book. So he wrote it. One in Three interweaves two powerful stories: that of Adam and his father; and of the 200-year search for a cure. Link
• Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert Psychologist Daniel Gilbert reveals how and why the majority of us have no idea how to make ourselves happy. The drive for happiness is one of the most instinctive and fundamental human impulses. In this revealing and witty investigation, psychologist Daniel Gilbert uses scientific research, philosophy and real-life case studies to illustrate how our basic drive to satisfy our desires can not only be misguided, but also intrinsically linked to some long-standing and contentious questions about human nature. Link
• The Rough Guide to Climate Change by Robert Henson
The Rough Guide to Climate Change is a complete, unbiased guide to one of the most pressing problems facing humanity. From the current situation and background science to the government sceptics and possible solutions, this book covers the whole subject. The guide looks at visible symptoms of change from a warming planet, how global warming works, the evolution of our atmosphere over the last 4.5 billion years and what computer simulations of climate reveal about our past, present, and future. It looks at the sceptics' grounds for disagreement, global warming in the media and what governments and scientists are doing to try and solve the problem. It also includes lifestyle advice and tips for consumers who want to make a difference in tomorrow's climate. Link
Web campaign to free American in Nicaragua (NPR "Xeni Tech")
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LISTEN:
"Two Sides Take up Nicaraguan Murder Case Online." Link to archived audio (Real/Win). Here's an MP3 Link. Or, listen to this report as an MP3 in the "Xeni Tech" podcast (subscribe via iTunes here). NPR "Xeni Tech" archives here.
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Eric Volz is one of many Americans drawn to the beauty of Nicaragua. Two decades after the end of a civil war between leftist Sandinistas and U.S.-backed Contra rebels, the country has become a magnet for retirees, surfers, and ecotourism.
After going there to surf, Volz ended up staying in Nicaragua, selling beachfront real estate and launching a magazine about local culture. Life was pretty good — until last November. His 25-year-old Nicaraguan ex-girlfriend, Doris Jimenez, was murdered. Of the four suspects, Volz was the only non-Nicaraguan. He became the prime suspect.
The one witness placing Volz at the scene of the crime was himself a suspect — a petty thief with an established criminal history. Charges against him were dropped when he agreed to testify against Volz.
Evidence for Volz's defense, including phone and Internet records, and testimony from 10 witnesses who claimed to have seen Volz in another city at the time of the crime, were denied by the small-town court.
Nicaraguan tabloids printed inflammatory headlines about the case (examples: 1, 2, 3), and Volz's mother, Maggie Anthony, says the climate surrounding the legal proceedings became chaotic.
"After the hearing, Eric was chased by a mob chanting, 'Let the gringo out so we can kill him,'" says Anthony. "We believe that was a direct result of the frenzy that happened because of the press."
Anthony says they turned to close family friend Richard McKinney for help. McKinney -- a former government tech CIO in Tennessee, now a Microsoft executive -- had some experience with technology and media. At first, they thought it best to avoid more press attention.
"Our lawyers said the best course of action is to let the evidence speak for itself and not make the situation worse by introducing the media," says McKinney.
If that spun out of control, they reasoned, the story could turn into a Nicaragua-vs.-America firestorm. But when the court returned a guilty verdict, McKinney turned to his 24-year-old daughter Nicole, who works in an ad agency and knew a thing or two about creating "viral media" campaigns with YouTube, MySpace, and blogs.
"When I called her, I said, 'Darlin', we need to light a fire on the Internet,' and she said, 'Let me work on it,'" McKinney recalls.
A "Free Eric Volz" MySpace page materialized, letters written by Eric from jail appear like blog posts on a "Friends of Eric Volz" Web site. Supporters produced a YouTube video called "An American Wrongfully Imprisoned In Nicaragua."
Soon, blogs picked up the story, and mainstream US media followed. Around the same time, congressmen and State Department officials took notice. In Nicaragua, there is not a strong Internet culture yet — but locals expressed themselves online, too, in newspaper forums. And an anti-Eric Volz video popped up on YouTube, followed by counter-responses produced by still others who had learned about the case from the Internet. Beyond the case itself, it seemed that traditional media in Nicaragua suddenly found itself at odds with a new, global, social media.
Howard Rheingold, the author of "Smart Mobs," believes this is part of an emerging trend.
"The poor people who earn a dollar a day don't have access to the Internet quite yet, but they've always had access to the networks through which rumors spread — and they hit the streets," says Rheingold. "Some of those people on the streets know someone who's connected to the Internet, and I think increasingly we'll see those two worlds merge."
Those worlds are merging in other legal cases, too. Supporters of American videoblogger Josh Wolf, who spent 226 days in U.S. prison, credit a massive online campaign in part with his recent release.
The murder trial of a 23-year old woman in Oakland, Calif., grabbed national headlines last year when her mom posted scanned court documents and photos of witnesses on MySpace.
Just as "conversational media" could be used to exonerate the wrongfully imprisoned, Rheingold worries that it could be used the other way.
"The question is, is that going to raise the quality of the public sphere, or is this simply going to be a medium that can be manipulated, [where] people become inflamed over falsehoods?"
Volz's case has been forwarded to an appeals court in Nicaragua, and a new hearing is expected in the coming weeks.
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CNN's Rick Sanchez covered it for "Anderson Cooper 360" this week: Link.
Here's a San Francisco Chronicle story (April 6): Link. And a Wall Street Journal story is here (March 19, behind a paywall, sorry): Link.
Fark's copyright policy stinks -- UPDATED
Update: Be sure to look at the bottom of this post for updates -- Fark's Drew Curtis has said that the policy is a mistake and will be fixed soon. He also points out that he goes the extra mile when someone from the press wants to use a farker's image or contribution."
Fark -- home to many photo-mashup contests -- has a new (?) copyright policy: everyone who posts to Fark agrees to assign all copyright in their work to Fark (Fark then gives the posters back the right to use their work on personal projects, but not to allow anyone else to ever use their work).
The clause is really dumb. It's clear that Fark just wants to be sure they're allowed to, for example, publish books of the entries in Fark contests and to make sure that they're allowed to put ads alongside user submissions. Not altogether ridiculous.
But there are much better ways of accomplishing this than simply grabbing all the copyright to farkers' submissions. For example, Fark could ask submitters to release their submissions into the public domain, or to license them as Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, which would make sure that Fark could make stuff from user submissions, without turning Fark into the sole owner of their users' creative output.
The agreement also prohibits any quoting of Fark submissions, message board posts etc, without ever mentioning fair use. Boing Boing has often quoted Fark posts in the past -- something that this policy now prohibits.
All in all, these terms of service are not very well thought through and are a real disappointment.
Fark.com is the legal owner of all copyright interests of Fark.com content. Each and every submission to Fark.com carries with it an implied assignment of the entire copyright interest in the submission. In exchange for the content and publication of that submission on Fark.com, Fark.com grants back to the submitter a non-exclusive, non-transferable and royalty-free license to republish that submission in any and all forms.Link (Thanks to everyone who suggested this!)If you have any questions about our copyright policies, please send Feedback.
Update: Fark's Drew Curtis has gone on record saying that this agreement isn't good and will be fixed soonest -- great news!
We’re not, we’re asking for a non-exclusive right to republish. Submitters still own their submissions, we’re asking for reprint rights in case we can use it. We have no intention of acquiring ownership of submission(Thanks to everyone who suggested this!)
Update 2: Fark's Drew Curtis adds, "Something else no one knows, because no one asked, is that since the inception of the website, I have been contacted on multiple occasions by mainstream media people (or otherwise, such as when Thomas Dolby asked permission to blow up submissions to a PS contest with him as the subject to poster size for his own house) about using Fark PS submissions. I have refused to give the permission, and instead have on every occasion contacted the individual who owned the work and told them that the didn't need to respond to the media inquiry but if they wanted to they could. Because of this, if you ever saw a Fark PS in Mainstream Media that was uncreditted, it was used without permission."
Survey: Kids download media because they mistrust labels/studios
John sez, "A variety.com article that suggests that 18 to 34 year olds in Europe download music and films because they don't trust the entertainment biz to provide bang for their buck. In the U.K., 35% of those asked did not think entertainment companies respected the rights of people who pay for digital entertainment, with that figure rising to 46% in France."
Some 41% of 18- to 34-year-olds in the U.K. did not trust entertainment companies to provide them with value for money, compared with an even higher figure of 54% in France. In the U.K., 35% of those asked did not think entertainment companies respected the rights of people who pay for digital entertainment, with that figure rising to 46% in France.(Thanks, John!)"It's bad news for the entertainment companies in that consumers are saying they're used to getting what they want, when they want, without paying for it on the Internet," said Gail Becker, Edelman's global head of digital entertainment division. "People are asking if I am going to pay for my entertainment, what value are you going to give us?"
More Merit Badges for scientists
Dave, from the Order of the Science Scouts of Exemplary Repute and Above-Average Physique, writes in with good news:
Link (Thanks, Dave!)Recently, our badges have doubled in number (new ones include various levels of the "I build robots" badge; the "I've named a child or pet for science" badge" and the "I AM actually a freakin' rocket scientist" badge).
As well, the Science Scouts have adopted a kicking punk rock song called "Increase the N" by local Vancouver band HEFE as our official anthem. Who knew punk could work in the words "Mass Spec" into the lyrics?
Update: JFR sez, "I thought you would enjoy these merit badges from the Autonomous, Co-Ed, Secular, Non-Heirarchical Meme-Rider Scouting Collective for All Ages."
Update 2: Bonnie sez, "Saw these awesome zinester merit badges from podpodpost.com at Alternative Press Expo in San Fran this weekend!"
Fossilized rain forest found in Illinois
An entire ancient rainforest has been discovered, fossilized, in an Illinois coal mine. Three hundred million years ago, an earthquake pulled four square miles of the forest just below sea level and buried it in mud, preserving it for eternity. From National Geographic:
LinkThe forest... features an abundance of huge leaf impressions, large trunks of extinct trees, and tree-size horsetail plants, the researchers (from the Illinois State Geological Survey) said...
Geologist John Nelson, also with ISGS, found the fossils in 2004 when he was visiting the mine and noticed plant imprints in its shale-covered ceiling.
Elrick said, "Imagine an artist's canvas that's covered in gray flat paint—that's what gray shale kind of looks like.
"The plant fossils stand out in that grayness as black impressions, and they look just like pressed leaves in a book.
"As [workers] continued to mine, they exposed more and more fossils," he added.
HOWTO make a wallet from an innertube
Instructables has directions for making a magnetic wallet/billfold out of an innertube and some old steel. I'm a little skeptical about credit-cards and magnets peacefully co-existing.
Link (via Make)
Duct tape wallets are non-optimal. The nature of the adhesive used on duct tape results in a wallet that will slowly slide apart based on the forces input to the wallet by your ass. After a year or so, depending on the ambient temperature of your location, the wallet will be falling apart and you will be building a new one. Besides, who needs all those pockets, a full length cash slot or other "wallet" features? In today's modern, RFID, credit-ready, cash-poor society a money clip with credit card and drivers license storage is truly the best wallet you will ever need. Any more storage and you will tempted to store receipts, ATM slips, business cards, and other sundry items in the wallet until you have a full blown case of "Costanza Wallet".Enter the Innertube Wallet. As a Maker, geek, or otherwise shunned cheapskate, you doubtless have numerous blown bicycle innertubes, a few sheets of rusty 22 gauge steel, and any number of DOA hard disks and their attendant magnets. With such materials and a boundless enthusiasm for turning interminably stored junk into stuff you don't need, I present the bitchin' innertube wallet to solve all your wallety needs.
Update: Matias sez, "My friend Eli in Seattle has been making awesome bags and other accessories from inner tubes and other reused materials for a while. He sells them through his tiny business Alchemy Goods."
Funny coffee mugs to animalize your face
Attua Aparicio Torinos designed a line of funny white coffee mugs with cartoon animal parts on the bottom. Also available in pig and rabbit for £10.00 from Thorsten Van Elten.Link
Sheep sold as poodles
See updates below. Thousands of Japanese people have apparently been scammed into buying "poodles" that are actually sheep with fancy haircuts. The scam was uncovered after actress Maiko Kawakami showed a photo of her pet poodle on TV and commented that it "didn't bark and refused to eat dog food," according to a Metro.co.uk article. After being informed that the poodle was a sheep, police lines rang with other rubes telling the same story. From Metro.co.uk:
UPDATE: There is some debate over whether this story is true or an urban legend. Link
UPDATE: And BB reader Jeff Gordon points to this story, from ninemsn, suggesting that the poodle/sheep scam may not be true. Link
UPDATE: And last but not least, a summary of the doubt at Snopes. Link
UPDATE: And the final word is that this story is not true. According to an AFP article, Kawakami denied that she had been scammed but rather that she overheard someone else telling the story in a nail salon and had simply recounted it on TV. Meanwhile, the police in Sapporo said that "the "article is completely made up." Link
'We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company was selling sheep as poodles,' a police spokesman told The Sun.Link (via Fortean Times)
'Sadly, we think there is more than one company operating in this way.
'The sheep are believed to have been imported from overseas - Britain and Australia.'
UPDATE: There is some debate over whether this story is true or an urban legend. Link
UPDATE: And BB reader Jeff Gordon points to this story, from ninemsn, suggesting that the poodle/sheep scam may not be true. Link
UPDATE: And last but not least, a summary of the doubt at Snopes. Link
UPDATE: And the final word is that this story is not true. According to an AFP article, Kawakami denied that she had been scammed but rather that she overheard someone else telling the story in a nail salon and had simply recounted it on TV. Meanwhile, the police in Sapporo said that "the "article is completely made up." Link
Video: '70s Dutch pop music show revived online
BB reader Branko Collin says,
LinkTopPop, a Dutch hit music show from the seventies and eighties, has opened its archives last month. They were big on the eve of the video clip, when artists who wanted to market their face and not just their music had to make live appearances on local TV shows throughout the world. TopPop was special because of their funky backgrounds (think: Blondie standing on a tin foil mountain); the fact that if an artist was unable to appear, the show would replace them by a ballet (think: dancing to the theme of Star Wars); and because of its slightly goofy looking presenter Ad Visser, who also wrote the science fiction novel-with-soundtrack Sobrietas.
LA Times journalist: "I am a transsexual sportswriter."
Here's a snip from a column filed today by Mike Penner of the Los Angeles Times, who will soon return from a vacation with a new identify: Christine Daniels.
I am a transsexual sportswriter. It has taken more than 40 years, a million tears and hundreds of hours of soul-wrenching therapy for me to work up the courage to type those words. I realize many readers and colleagues and friends will be shocked to read them.LinkThat's OK. I understand that I am not the only one in transition as I move from Mike to Christine. Everyone who knows me and my work will be transitioning as well. That will take time. And that's all right. To borrow a piece of well-worn sports parlance, we will take it one day at a time.
Transsexualism is a complicated and widely misunderstood medical condition. It is a natural occurrence — unusual, no question, but natural. Recent studies have shown that such physiological factors as genetics and hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy can significantly affect how our brains are "wired" at birth.
As extensive therapy and testing have confirmed, my brain was wired female.
A transgender friend provided the best and simplest explanation I have heard: We are born with this, we fight it as long as we can, and in the end it wins.
Reader comment: Mike DeBonis, senior editor with Washington City Paper, says,
Christina Kahrl, who's one of the brains behind Baseball Prospectus, one of the most respected baseball publications around, used to be Chris Kahrl. (She's lived as a woman since 2003, but didn't change her byline until 2005.) Our sports columnist Dave McKenna wrote about it back in summer 2005: Link.Jeff Simmermon says,
The creators of the television show "Nip/Tuck" are working on a series about a transsexual sportswriter: Link.The online publication Gender Life is one source for news about these issues -- and hey, whaddyaknow, here's another transsexual sports writer in the UK: Link. (Thanks, Andrea James!)
Wiley threatens scientists with copyright law - UPDATED
Shelley Batts, a neuroscience PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, blogged a story about a recent paper on fruit antioxidants. She reproduced a small clip out of a chart from the article, and was threatened by lawyers from the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, one of the Wiley group's journals.
This is, of course, bullshit. Reproducing part of a figure in a critical, scholarly essay is so obviously fair use that it hardly bears discussion. Wiley's lawyers know this. You and I know it too.
Traditional science journals are facing competition from open access journals whose entire contents are licensed Creative Commons, and whose articles are intended to be spread to interested scholars around the world. If scientists send their work to the open access journals, they get more citations and attention from their peers, which leads to more opportunities to present their work, find collaborators and get funded. Traditional journals are scrambling to attract submissions from scientists, adding open access features in a bid to stay relevant to science.
All except Wiley. If there's one lesson to be learned from this debacle (which has aroused the ire of scientists around the world), it's this: don't submit your papers to the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, because they will harass and intimidate people who try to do public scholarship with your work. Link (Thanks to everyone who suggested this!)
Update: On Batts's blog, this comment:
Sarah Cooney | April 26, 2007 01:02 PM: I am Director of Publications at the Society of Chemical Industry, owner of the journal in question (JSFA).Note that Cooney says that they "grant permission" to use the chart; not that using the chart is fair use, requiring no permission. Talk about unclear on the concept. (Thanks, Jenny!)There has been a misunderstanding with this issue, inadvertently caused by a junior staff member at our Society. Our official response is below:
'We apologise for any misunderstanding. In this situation the publisher would typically grant permission on request in order to ensure that figures and extracts are properly credited. We do not think there is any need to pursue this matter further.'
I have written to Shelley to clarify that this was a general misunderstanding, and she has been happy with my response.
The journal in question is owned by the Society of Chemical Industry. We work in partnership with Wiley to produce our journals.
USC students get a meeting with President Sample TODAY! Rally at 10AM
Yesterday, I blogged about the eight-year-long struggle of SCALE anti-sweatshop activists to get a meeting with the president of the University of Southern California.. Today, I got this email from Jon:
Link
I was one of the 13 inside Sample's office and your support meant alot. Also, I'm a fanatical Boing Boing reader so to see you posting about us makes my heart swell. I just read your recent posting and I have some good news for an update on Boing Boing. We actually got word late last week that, after eight years, we will in fact be meeting with President Sample. The meeting will take place today (Thursday) at 10 AM. We will be coordinating a silent rally at Tommy Trojan to support our friends inside.
Art made with help from living bees
Photographer Clayton Cubitt points us to artwork that incorporates what, in America, appears to be a newly threatened species.
"Aganetha Dyck collaborates with bees to make art: Link.
"I like the bee-altered shoes, myself: Link."
Simulated mouse-brain running at 1/10 speed
IBM researchers have modelled a mouse's brain at 10 percent speed -- and what can be done at 10 percent speed today can be done at 1000 percent in a couple cycles of Moore's Law. Super-intelligent virtual mice ahoy!
Neurobiologically realistic, large-scale cortical and sub-cortical simulations are bound to play a key role in computational neuroscience and its applications to cognitive computing. One hemisphere of the mouse cortex has roughly 8,000,000 neurons and 8,000 synapses per neuron. Modeling at this scale imposes tremendous constraints on computation, communication, and memory capacity of any computing platform.Link (Thanks, Ken!)We have designed and implemented a massively parallel cortical simulator with (a) phenomenological spiking neuron models; (b) spike-timing dependent plasticity; and (c) axonal delays.
We deployed the simulator on a 4096-processor BlueGene/L supercomputer with 256 MB per CPU. We were able to represent 8,000,000 neurons (80% excitatory) and 6,300 synapses per neuron in the 1 TB main memory of the system. Using a synthetic pattern of neuronal interconnections, at a 1 ms resolution and an average firing rate of 1 Hz, we were able to run 1s of model time in 10s of real time!
Update: Jamais sez, "This is a simulation of a cortical network with the size, link complexity and signal activity of a mouse brain, but without the structure -- so, arguably, it isn't a really a simulated mouse brain, but a functional platform upon which a mouse brain sim could run. Depending upon your perspective, this is a minor quibble or makes all the difference."
Egypt: worldwide rallies for jailed blogger on Fri. Apr. 27
Supporters of jailed Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer will rally for his release from prison tomorrow, Friday April 27. Link.
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